Monday, October 23, 2017

Navajo Tacos

These Navajo Tacos have been one of our favorite weeknight dinners ever! The soft Indian fry bread on the bottom is incredible, and you can even save a few for after dinner to spread with honey butter and jam.

Branching out and trying new dinner recipes has seriously been one of the best decisions I've ever made! Not only did it get us out of a major dinner slump, but my kids are discovering all sorts of new foods they never knew they liked!

Every time I introduce a new meal, my daughter tries a new food. For instance, when I served these Navajo tacos, she said, "Mom, I think the day is the day that I should try eating tomatoes. I think I'm going to like them."

Once I picked my jaw up off the ground, I piled the tomatoes on. I don't think she loved them in the end (her dad doesn't either), but she didn't gag or cry. And she really did eat a few! That is serious progress from where I'm standing, folks.

Ok, let's talk about this Indian fry bread for a minute here. Have you ever tried it?? My first introduction to fry bread was in Utah when I was about 12. I was visiting my best friend's grandma, and she tossed some extra bread dough she had in the fry pan. I was intrigued. And when she served it up warm and slathered in homemade jam, I was IN LOVE.

So what I'm saying is... you should have some fry bread leftover after the tacos. Slap some honey butter or jam on those suckers, and you'll feel like you've died and gone to heaven! It's like a donut. Almost. But flat. And oh-so-good!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!!

Yield: 8 servings

Navajo Tacos

These Navajo Tacos have been one of our favorite weeknight dinners ever! The soft Indian fry bread on the bottom is incredible, and you can even save a few for after dinner to spread with honey butter and jam.

prep time: cook time: total time:

INGREDIENTS

For the Indian Fry Bread (the base)

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm milk

1 tbsp butter

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

For the Taco Meat

1 lb ground meat

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

15 oz red kidney beans, drained

4 oz green chiles

8 oz tomato sauce

Toppings

lettuce

diced tomatoes

shredded cheese

olives

sour cream

salsa

INSTRUCTIONS

Indian Fry Bread

Place the milk and the butter in a microwave safe dish and heat for about 90 seconds, or until the milk is warmed and the butter is melted. You may need to stir.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, yeast, and salt.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix by hand until a dough forms. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over MEDIUM heat. Once the oil is ready (the oil should bubble if you drip water on it), divide the dough into 8 balls. Working with one at a time, flatten the dough in your palms to be about 6 inches in diameter.

Place the flattened dough in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on the underside, and then flip to cook the other side. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Taco Meat

Sautee the onion in the oil over medium-high heat for about a minute before adding the ground meat and browning it. Drain the meat if needed (I use a super lean ground turkey and it doesn't need to drain).